Julie Hall Onlinehttp://www.juliehallonline.com
Helping Businesses Be Brilliant OnlineTue, 15 Aug 2017 17:04:03 +0100en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.2https://i1.wp.com/www.juliehallonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/cropped-jhfavicon.png?fit=32%2C32Julie Hall Onlinehttp://www.juliehallonline.com
323212530337410 ways to get more stuff done when you are constantly running out of timehttp://www.juliehallonline.com/10-ways-to-get-more-stuff-done-when-you-are-constantly-running-out-of-time/
http://www.juliehallonline.com/10-ways-to-get-more-stuff-done-when-you-are-constantly-running-out-of-time/#commentsThu, 08 Jun 2017 21:16:11 +0000http://www.juliehallonline.com/?p=118222I’m constantly battling with time. There is never enough of it. In this post, I share my simple time management tips to help you be more productive in your day.

I’m constantly battling with time. There is never enough of it. I always have multiple activities competing for it. And once it is gone, I can never get it back again.

In this post, I share my simple time management tips to help you be more productive in your day.

Work to your natural rhythms

Figure out when you are most productive and make sure that your schedule works to that. Identify which activities fit best with your energy levels and build your schedule around that. If you try and do hard stuff when your energy is low, life and your business will always feel like a struggle. I call this the energy dance. Work with your natural daily energy cycle and move and flow through your day simply and easily. If you are a lark, work hard in the morning. If you are a night owl, sleep until 10 and work until late. The great thing about being a micro business owner is that you get to choose!

Plan before you begin

Decide what you are going to do and when you are going to get it done by. Know what your critical path is (the activities that need to be completed first) and put those milestones into a simple plan.

Work from a list.

When you feel yourself getting distracted, refer back to the list of activities that you need to achieve that day and that week. This will keep you focused.

The Law of Three (a la Brian Tracy)

Write down a list of the activities that you need to accomplish in a week. What are the most important things? What if you could only do three of those things? Ask yourself if those 3 activities will really move your business or your project forward.

Bin the stuff that doesn’t.

Chunk your time

Split your time into chunks. Decide how long you are going to spend on an activity and then work to that time. Turn off all distractions during this period so that the activity gets 100% of your attention.

Set deadlines (and stick to them)

The work will fill the amount of time that you give it. If you really want to achieve something fast, then give yourself a challenging deadline and put it out there. Tell other people that they can expect a result at a particular time and you are much more likely to deliver.

Create systems

If you have activities that you do over and over again, or need to have the same conversation with different people, then create systems that will make the work much simpler and easier. This will mean that you are not having to do the thinking each time. Systems can be as simple as having templates in place, scripts to work from or a simple mind map that lists out the key activities.

Keep track

Check in with yourself daily and weekly and track your progress. Did you do what you said you were going to do yesterday? Was it important? Does it need to be done today? How are you doing against your schedule? Are you staying on course or going off track. Learn from what you are doing and what you aren’t doing.

Create visual clues

Put up a poster where you can tick of each goal accomplished. Give yourself large scale visual reminders about what you have decided to do in your business. A friend of mine, Joanna Penn has a big chart on her wall to remind her that her main goal every day is to write 1000 words. She gives herself a big tick each day that she achieves this goal. And leaves it blank when she doesn’t. This shows her that she is keeping on track against her book writing target.

Create space for your work

It’s critical that you have a work space that feels comfortable for you to work in. I’m not going to tell you that you need to carve out a space in your house where none exists, but it’s really important that you have a place where you can work that is conducive to getting stuff done. Make sure that you have a place that you can put all your work stuff away at the end of the day so that you can truly relax. It will free you up mentally to be more productive.

Take breaks regularly

Your brain and creativity will thank you. Working continuously without breaks is exhausting and your work will suffer. Go for a walk. Do some exercise. Meet a friend of a coffee. Make sure you time box it but build in down time.

Learn to say no

Decide that you are going to take control of your time and you decide your agenda, not others. It’s not selfishness, it’s self preservation.

Bonus tip

Set clear boundaries.

I got this from my friend Wendy Kerr – when 9:00am starts… stop doing laundry and the dishes and cleaning the house and doing the grocery shopping. Respect that your work takes priority during whatever work hours you set and don’t deviate. I know it’s hard, and I know as a woman that you are good at multi-tasking but you would be surprised how much time those little things take up in your day and away from your business!

If you have other tips that you’d like to share, we’d love to hear them. Feel free to share them in the comments below.

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]]>http://www.juliehallonline.com/10-ways-to-get-more-stuff-done-when-you-are-constantly-running-out-of-time/feed/1118222Business lessons learned from the Couch 25k programmehttp://www.juliehallonline.com/business-lessons-learned-from-the-couch-25k-programme/
http://www.juliehallonline.com/business-lessons-learned-from-the-couch-25k-programme/#respondThu, 08 Jun 2017 21:00:38 +0000http://www.juliehallonline.com/?p=118276Last December, I decided that I was going to become a runner. Achieving that goal taught me a lot about myself and how to get better results in my business

In December I decided that I wanted to be a runner. The problem was, that the last time I ever did anything more than running for the bus was probably when I was 14 and doing dreaded track and field at highschool.

I have hated running all my life. In fact, I would say that I was probably the least likely person to ever become a regular runner. It was just too hard.

But I WANTED to be a runner. I mean, I really wanted to be a runner. I think for me, running epitomises fitness and health and I wanted that for myself.

Running does so much good for your heart and body that I wanted to be the kind of healthy person that goes for a run.

Life changing lessons

And what I found was that there were a huge number other benefits as well.

If you are already very good at motivating yourself, these will seem obvious – but as someone who is always impatient to finish, there were definitely some aha’s in there for me.

Have a system to follow

The C25K podcast takes you through a proven 9 week programme. Each week was different from the week before and built on what I had done previously.

Knowing that other unfit people had been able to make it through meant that I knew that it was possible. If they could run, then so could I!

The importance of community

I also joined the Health Unlocked community which is a free forum for people that are doing the Couch 25K . Reading other people’s challenges and sharing in their successes kept me motivated when I was worried about whether I could do it. A support network was crucial to keeping me motivated.

Success takes time

I keep having to remind myself of this. There is a part of me that expects to be able to do things quickly and easily. And I get frustrated, yes, like a child, when that doesn’t happen. But the C25K programme builds in patience.

You need to complete each week and each step before moving on to the next one.

And because physically it would be too challenging to skip a step, I had to learn to follow the pace of the programme. And thereby, learn patience.

But by doing so, I managed to get there. It took me 13 weeks because of a knee injury partway through, but it was worth it.

You don’t need to be perfect all the time

Let’s face it, nothing ever goes as smoothly as we might like.

Sometimes things go wrong. Sometimes you make mistakes or no matter how hard you try, you just can’t get there. Again, it is easy to let the gremlins take over and talk you out of following the next step. But not this time. I knocked those gremlins to the curb.

I trusted the process and stuck with it and based on other’s experiences, I knew if I did, I would get to my goal.

First things first

Going for a run was an absolute priority for me – so I would make sure it was the first thing I did in the morning. Brian Tracy calls it Eating that Frog. Stephen Covey, calls if First Things First. Regardless, the principle is to do the hardest thing first so that it is out of the way.

And getting out the door was the hardest thing I had to do (particularly in the middle of winter!) so I made it the first thing I did when I woke up.

Honestly, I’m not sure how I managed to do it, but I did.

Making the commitment

Finally, the thing that really helped me to complete the programme was just deciding that I was going to do it and fully committing to that decision.

There were no exceptions or excuses. Every week I committed to completing 3 runs a week.

Having that goal and being able to see my progress was very motivating and knowing that if I made the effort, I would get there. I had to show up every time to get the results that I was looking for.

Just keep going

As you can see, I learned a lot of lessons from this, probably even more than I have listed.

Since I completed the programme, I run a couple of times a week along with doing other exercises and I have to say that running has changed my life and my health enormously.

When I have had to stop for one reason or another, I have noticed that I could feel my fitness start to slip quickly – so now I have committed to running 3x per week.

I can’t say that I love running all the time and I do still find it hard sometimes to get out the door, but I never regret it once I do. The results are definitely worth the effort.

Edit: Now I have been running for another 2 months after I originally wrote this post and I have noticed a couple of other things. When I ‘graduated’ from the C25K programme, it took me 8.30 minutes to run one km. So, I was pretty slow. I use an app called Map My Run to track my runs and my progress and last weekend, I ran 7.5km in about 52 mins. And on one of those kilometres, I completed in 6.43… knocking almost 2 minutes off my time.

I am hopeful that I will make it down to a 6-minute km so I can achieve 5k in 30 minutes at some point down the road (no pun intended ) I am pleased that I have made so much progress, but that has only come by consistently showing up. Another important lesson.

Have a brilliant week.

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]]>http://www.juliehallonline.com/business-lessons-learned-from-the-couch-25k-programme/feed/01182767 Secrets to creating and running a successful businesshttp://www.juliehallonline.com/7-secrets-to-creating-a-successful-business/
http://www.juliehallonline.com/7-secrets-to-creating-a-successful-business/#respondThu, 08 Jun 2017 20:37:00 +0000http://www.juliehallonline.com/?p=118261Running your own business takes a big leap of faith, a touch of crazy and a lot of hard graft. Here are my 7 steps to creating a successful business

Running your own business takes a big leap of faith, a touch of crazy and a lot of hard graft. It’s terrifying, intimidating, invigorating and challenging all at the same time. The statistics aren’t in our favour… BUT running your own business is AMAZING. As hard as it is, once you’ve been bitten by the bug, there is something really wonderful about being your own boss.

Taking control of your own destiny. Being in charge of your own income stream. What a rush.

Is it easy? No – but ask any business owner who has been at it for some time and is achieving some success and most of them will say that they are now unemployable.

So how can you make sure you start right?

1. Start with what you know and let your experience be your guide

Start with what you know. If you have spent twenty years working as a marketing consultant or you love to go to art galleries as a hobby, consider how you can take that experience and turn it into a successful business.

Look around you. Do you see needs that are going unmet or can you think of a better way of doing something?

2. Faster, Smarter, Cheaper, Better

Many first time entrepreneurs assume that they have to come up with a new business idea to be successful. That simply is not true.

Most successful businesses are born not from innovation, but from necessity. Instead of trying to come up with an idea that changes the world, take a look at the world around you and see where there might be a void that needs filling or a business concept that needs improvement.

Think about yourself as a customer or seller of a service or product and how you might be able to do it faster, smarter, cheaper or better.

In a competitive market you need to find a way to differentiate yourself. If you have an idea think about these four questions and brainstorm 20 ideas for each one to see which way feels right for you.

How can you deliver a product or service or give value faster than anyone else

How can you deliver products or services more efficiently than anyone else.

How can you deliver a higher quality product or service than anyone else

How can you deliver products or services cheaper than anyone else.

Many successful businesses have been built by taking a traditional business and making it better. Domino’s Pizza was certainly not the first to offer home delivery of pizza, but they were the first to guarantee it would be delivered piping hot to your door in 30 minutes or less.

Amazon.com was not the first company to sell books, but they were one of the first that would let you buy books from the comfort of your own home while sitting in your underwear. Everywhere there are people selling the same products, coffee, jewellery, food – it’s all about your ability to get noticed and find your point of difference.

3. Remember YOU when you are planning your business

Often women will have different motivations for starting their own business. Work/life balance, flexibility, independence, personal satisfaction, AND to make money.

It is worth identifying what your values are before you get started to help you understand what your success criteria will be. Look forward 6 months, 12 months, 3 years…

What do you want to be doing? What does your life look like? How are you spending your time.

Build your business around what you want to be doing and make sure that you are enjoying the journey.

4. Make sure you are spending some of your time doing what you love

It is important that you have a passion and connection to what you are doing. You will increase your chances of success enormously if you find a business that excites you so much that you want to be doing it all the time. Working in a business that you have no fire for can be extremely difficult and in worst cases make you ill.

A friend of mine was a partner in a business that was really draining her. She had compromised on her family life by not spending much time with her son and is now going through early menopause at the age of 39. She has now stepped away from that business and feels like an enormous weight has been lifted from her shoulders and is pursuing her own dream to create a consultancy that helps businesses in crisis situations.

If you don’t enjoy what you do, the business will become a chore, not a joy.

5. Find a niche – and own it!

Many businesses have gone broke trying to be all things to all people. The ability to offer millions of products under one roof is all well and good for Tesco, but not for most new small businesses.

Try to identify a niche that you would enjoy working in and think about the type of business that you could create. It can be hard to do this and feel like you are leaving behind customers that might be interested in working with you but the reality is that it will make everything in your business so much easier.

Finding your customers, targeting the right people, using the right language in your marketing. Figure out who you want to work with and how you can help them and get smart about marketing to them. Note though – the niche needs to be big enough to support you!

6. Assess the competition and decide if you can find a place for yourself

If the business pool is already filled with other companies doing the same thing you want do, think about how you might be able to differentiate yourself.

Henry Ford has a great quote “A market is never saturated with a good product, but it is very quickly saturated with a bad one. ” Take this to heart. Test your proposition to determine whether you can make yourself stand out and always try to be the best in your market.

7. Embrace the art of marketing and selling

If no-one knows about you or is able to find you then you will struggle. All the passion in the world won’t help you build a successful business if no-one knows you exist.

Marketing and selling can be great fun. Get in touch with your inner salesperson and think about how you like to buy.

How do you find the products and services that you are looking for and then choose the ones that resonate most with you. Developing these skills take practice, but once you master a sales technique or a marketing strategy they will be part of your business toolkit forever.

Don’t be too hard on yourself as most new business owners find sales and marketing hard but when you find the ‘right way’ for you and your business, your business will skyrocket.

There is no rush

Whatever business you choose to start, take the time required to make an informed, intelligent decision.

Think about whether you can start your business in your free time, while you still have your current job (and income) to fall back on.

Talk to friends and associates who use the product or service you will provide to see if they would consider become paying customers.

Do your market research and put together your business plan as your road map to success.

Consider whether it makes sense to start small to test your idea and move into your business full-time when it can support you.

If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it.”

William Arthur Ward

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]]>http://www.juliehallonline.com/7-secrets-to-creating-a-successful-business/feed/0118261What to look for in a mentorhttp://www.juliehallonline.com/what-to-look-for-in-a-mentor/
http://www.juliehallonline.com/what-to-look-for-in-a-mentor/#respondThu, 08 Jun 2017 19:23:15 +0000http://www.juliehallonline.com/?p=118253Finding the right mentor can be tough for a business owner ... do you need one? do you need to pay for one? Here are my thoughts & ideas on mentoring.

She talks in detail how important mentoring is and how challenging it is for many women to find mentors.

Interestingly, one of the things that she is most criticised for in her book is how elitist she is because she had a mentor who was also the head of one of the colleges at Harvard when she attended, but clearly she has mastered the art of finding great mentors (yet another reason to read this book!).

So here’s the bad news… true (and free) mentorship usually comes out of an existing relationship. It’s very difficult for someone to decide to mentor you if they don’t know you or see potential in you.

After I started out on my journey as an entrepreneur, I was very lucky to have the support of my old MD. He became a mentor, sponsor, advocate and supporter and I will always be grateful for his advice and help during what was a challenging time.

Today I get mentoring and advice from lots of people around me, some of it is paid for and some of it is free. But regardless of whether I have paid for it not, I really value all of it.

I think finding decent mentors is incredibly important when you are running a business because they give you fresh insight and ideas, support during challenging times and ideally, an impartial view of your business and how you might resolve your issues.

What is a mentor?

Firstly let’s look at what mentoring is. In simple terms, a mentor is an advisor. A mentor is not a coach, though inevitably a mentor will coach you as well as mentor you.

They will be someone who can discuss your business with you and who will use their resources, contacts, and ideas to help you grow.

However, a mentor should also be impartial. They are not there to make you feel better about yourself or take you through a process where you become enlightened about an internal problem. They tend to be more strategic, bringing their experience to bear and giving advice and support to help you move forward in your business

Different types of mentoring

There are a few different ways that you can get support and mentoring for your business.

Peer group mentoring. I’m a big fan of peer group mentoring, as this can often give you what you are looking for quickly and easily. Peer group mentoring is where you connect with other people who are in a similar place to you, support you and your business and are willing to listen and offer advice and help where they can. It is usually free and can give you some much needed camaraderie in your business as well. I like to build peer group mentoring into our marketing meetups each month.

Finding and paying for a mentor.This is a more formal relationship where you arrange a regular time to meet and discuss your business challenges with someone you respect and whose advice can help move you forward. It doesn’t have to be face to face, in fact, I usually mentor people via Skype. This type of mentoring is an ongoing relationship, and it is worth thinking about formal goals and outcomes so that you can get the most out of it.

Informal mentoring. This is where you speak with an old boss, friend or industry expert and ask for their help. It is surprising how often people will say yes if you ask. However, it does also mean that you don’t always get the help you need when you need it as your chosen mentor may not be available or they may not be willing to give you much time.

Specialist mentoring. I will often ‘buy an hour’ from someone whom I have met or whose advice I seek when a specific issue comes up. This is useful if you don’t need an ongoing relationship but just need an expert to help you with a gnarly issue.

Recently I got in contact with an advisor that I worked with as part of the British Library’s Growth Programme, for some additional support over a business strategy that I was currently developing. I like the simplicity and clarity of this type of exchange and it also means that I’m respecting the value of the time of the people that I work with.

What to look for in a mentor

This is my checklist, but you will have your own criteria and different mentors will serve you in different ways.

Experienced: I like to work with people who have been there before in some way, so they can advise on the best way forward. Experience and results matter a lot to me.

Character: They need to be someone that I trust and is ethical in what they do.

Connected: Have relevant contacts and connections (though you can’t assume that these will be made accessible to you)

Honest: I want them to tell it like it is – no dancing around the issues and no molly coddling.

Interested in my success:I want them to want me to be successful and feel like they want to be a part of that.

No ego attached to advice: A mentor is an advisor, you don’t have to take their advice and I want a mentor that is happy to advise me, but recognise that this is my journey and I may not choose to act on it.

Finding your mentor

Look for recommendations or book a call with someone that you think might be a suitable mentor (like me :D). Also look for a track record, testimonials and experience in the area that you are seeking mentorship on.

There are some organisations that offer mentor match-making services and there are organisations that you can contact to pay for mentoring. The problem with mentor-matchmaking services is that you don’t really know who you are going to be connected with.

Finding a free mentor

If you want to find a mentor without paying, you may find yourself on a longer journey – particularly if you are looking for a formal mentoring relationship.

Mentoring of this type will usually start with a relationship and often will be triggered by the mentor rather than the mentee. The mentor will see something in you that they want to support and will reach out with their advice.

You can ask someone to be your mentor, but be quite careful about this, particularly if you don’t know the person you are asking very well, as it can be awkward and put the other person on the spot, which may make them feel uncomfortable.

You must build a relationship first, so that they are inspired to help you. Also, this type of mentoring will often be ad-hoc with advice being given over a coffee or during a meeting.

They may offer to support you or introduce you to someone out of their own generosity rather than personal gain.

What’s in it for the mentor? I think the pleasure of knowing that we have supported someone else in their journey. Personal impact is one of life’s great motivators, and this is an easy way to give it.

You may find that you are being mentored already but just don’t realise it! Many mentors won’t call themselves mentors, but that doesn’t stop them from being one.

Mentoring can give your business an enormous boost if you get the right person on board and can really help you turn a corner if you are stuck. If you would like to have a free strategy call, please feel free to book in a session here and I look forward to finding out more about you and your business.

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About Me

Hey there, I'm Julie and I help smart entrepreneurs build a brilliant brand online. I'd love to connect and help you in some way. Check out the options below to see how I can help YOU build a brilliant brand online.

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Every month we come together through The School of Marketing in London to meet, network, connect and learn.